Presser-foot for sewing-machines.



J. E. CHALMAN. PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. 1912.

mwl,

Patented Aug. 29,1916.

JOHN E. CHALMAN, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OB Ti) UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, 015 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

' PRESSER-JFUO'J. FOR SEWING1VIACHINES..

Apiilication filed October 31, 1912. Serial No. mesa.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. GHALMAN, a

" citizen of the United States, residing at i the .presser Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Presser-Feet for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvementsin resser feet for sew ng machines, andmore particularly to a presser foot which isadapted for use in connection with a multiple needle sewing machine,

wherein certain of the needles are widely spaced. .4 I

An ob ect of the inventlon 1s toprovlde presser foot of the above character, which "is so supported by the presserfoot supporting means that the foot portion may tilt laterally, soas to accommodate extra thick- .nesses of material at one side ofhthe presser foot, and which presser foot is also provided with adjustable means for limiting the tilt- Ling action of the foot portion.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a presser foot of the above character with an auxiliary yielding foot portion, or section, which is carried by the tilting main foot'portion of the presser foot and which may yield or move relative to said main foot portion, whereby extra thicknesses of material may be accommodated at certain portions of the presser foot, without disturbing the osition of the main portion of fbot relative'to the material.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more'fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration, one embodiment of the invention,.Figure l is a side view of a presser foot embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view. of the same; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 4 s a plan vlew of the main foot portion and the auxiliary foot portion showing the supporting shanks therefor in. section; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the supporting bracket for the auxiliary presser foot, and also through the main ortion of the presser foot; Fig. 6 is a, detail -sl1owing the hinged connection between the main presser foot and the supporting shank; Fig. 7' is a diagrammatic view showing the use of my improved presser foot, and the relation of the various parts to'the fabric when uniting a single piece plait to the body fabric. Fig. 8 is a detail showing modified form of fabric guide. Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the same.

In carrying out the invention, 1 have provided a presser foot which consists of La main portion 1.v This main portion 1 has an upwardly extending lug 2, which is perforated to receive a pivot screw 3. The'pivot' screw 3 passes through the forked lower end of the supportingshank 4, of the presser foot. This pivot screw is located longi tudinally of the presser foot, so that said presser foot is capable of yielding or tilting laterally or transversely of-the line voffeed. Said main presser foot, as shown in the drawings, is especially adapted for use in connection with a multiple needle sewing machine. The .presser foot is extended laterally so as to engage the fabric operated upon by each of the needles. As illustrated in the drawing, said foot is adapted for a four-needle machine, wherein the needles are arranged in pairs and at points adjacent the'lateral edges of said presser foot. ,Said presser foot is provided with slots 5 and .6, through which the needles stitching operation,

The main presser foot is turned upwardly at its forward end, as at 7. Fabric guides 8 are adjustably attached by screws 9, 9 at each side of the presser foot. These guiding members project forwardly from the foot and extend downwardly to the lower surface of the presser foot. In stitching a plait to a body fabric, the folded strip is guided by these guiding members 8, 8. In Fig. 7 of the drawing, I have shown diagrammatically a folded plait P which is being stitched to a body fabric B. This folded plait is passed underneath the main part of the presser foot, so that the needles passing through the slots 5, 5 will pass through the folded plait adjacent to the edge thereof, while the needles passing through the slots '6 at the other side of the Presser foot, will pass through the folded edges of the plait. As shown in the drawing, the plait is folded so that the inner needle passes through the lower part at the pass during the folded plait, and the body fabric, while the outer needle passes through the upper part of the folded strip and body fabric only. It will thus be apparent that at the folded edges of the plait, the inner needle is passing through five thicknesses of fabric,

while the outer needle is passing through three thicknesses of fabric.

"entering the slots 5, are passed through only two thicknesses of fabric.

As above noted, the main part of the presser foot is secured to a shank so that it can tilt laterally. This allows the main foot. to tilt so as to accommodate the vary-- a threaded screw 12. The edges of the 'split collar are joined by a screw 13. This screw 12 may beadjusted in the arm 10 and is held in adjusted positions by the screw 13. The upward movement of the side ofthepresser foot having the slots 6 will, therefore, be limited by this adjustable screw 12.

The main portion ofthe presser foot 1 is cut away so as to form a space or recess 14, which extends from front to rear ofthe presser foot. Located in said recess or space 4 is an auxiliary presser foot 15, which is mounted on a shank 16, adapted toslide in a bracket 17 which spans said recess or space 14, and is attached to the main portlon of the presser foot 1. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, thls'recess extends entirely to the front receiving portion ofi the presser foot,

so that if said auxiliary presser foot is raised, as shown indotted lines in said figure, the fabric is free to pass underneath said auxiliary presser foot, which will engage the same Without coming in contact with-the main portion of the foot. This auxiliary presser foot 15 .is' yieldingly pressed downward, so that itsi lower surface is normally flush with the lower surface of the main portion of the presser foot,'by a spring 18. A second bracket-19 is secured to the bracket '17 and said spring 18 extends horizontally, and is then coiled and extended vertically, where it is secured to said second bracket by a screw 20. A screw 21 passing through the bracket 19 presses against the spring, and may be used for varying the tension thereof. The downward movement of the shank 16 of the auxiliary presser -foot is limited by a pin 22, which extends'through said shank and is'adapted to bear against the upper face of the bracket 17. As clearly shown in the drawing, the bracket 17 is spaced above the upper face of the main portion of the presser foot 1 so The needles.

comprising a shank, a foot -verticall y and tilt with that said auxiliary presser foot has a limited range of movement underneath the bracket. The recess 14 and auxiliary presser foot 15 are so positioned that said auxiliary presscr foot engages the plait being stitched to the body fabric directly over that part of the plait having the increased thickness. That is to say, the auxiliary rcsser foot bears on the five layers of the fa ric, and will yield so that'the plait will be properly held for stitching, mechanism,notwithstanding the great width of the plait.

In Fig 8 of the drawing, I have shown a slightly modified form of fabric guide for and evenly fed to the stitching guiding the edge of the-plait being stitched to the body garment. These uides, indicated at 8, are. extended umerneath the foot, as shown at 8*, to the rear edge thereof. These guidcs'are located outside the needle openings and guide the edge of the plait, as above noted.

The arm 10 extending laterally from the main shank of thepresser foot, carries an ad ustable means, which not only serves to .limit the tilting movement of the mam foot, but also regulates the pressure of the mam foot, where the plurality of thicknesses passes underneath the same against the fabric. That is to say, the uneven thickness of the plait will cause the foot to tilt... By adjusting said screw the pressure of the foot against the folded-in edges of the plait may be made greater than the pressure of the foot at the opposite side thereof, where the plait is of less thickness. This added pres sure or varying pressure on the pivoted foot portion enables the fabric to be evenly fed to the stitching mechanism,regardless of the varying thickness at different parts therein.

It is obvious that minor changes in the v details of construction, and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A presser foot for sewing machines portion pivoted thereto so as to tilt laterally, an auxiliary foot portion carried by'said main foot portion, and-means for yieldingly supporting said auxiliary foot portion.

2. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank,a foot portion pivoted thereto so as to tilt laterally, said foot portion having a recess fol-me therein extending from the front to rear, an auxiliary prcsscr foot located in said recess, and means for yicldingly supporting said auxiliary foot portion from said main foot portion, whereby said auxiliary foot portion may yield said main foot portion.

3. A presser foot for sewing machines foot portion including devices whereby said auxiliary foot portion may yield vertically indepen ently of said main foot portion.

16. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a main foot portion having a recess, an auxiliary foot portion 10 cated n said recess, means whereby sa1d,'

auxiliary foot portion is supported so as to yield vertically independently of said mainfoot portion, said means-including an arm attached to said main foot portion, andextending over said recess above the main foot for supporting said auxiliary foot portlon,

whereby the same may move vertically relative to said main foot portion.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. CHALMAN 

